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Waste Reduction, Recycling, and the Technical Nutrient Cycle

Today's Reality

Municipal solid waste recycling is highly successful in Washington. Despite not reaching the legislative goal of a 50 percent recycling rate by 2007, the recycling rate for “traditional” materials (such as cans, bottles, and papers) climbed from 15 percent in 1986 to 43 percent in 2007. Equally important is the growth of recycling for other materials including asphalt, concrete, and other construction, demolition, and land-clearing materials. The “alternate” recycling rate for 2007 rises to 47 percent when these and other materials are added to the traditional recycled materials.

Recycling is a key foundation of all five initiatives, and vital to moving Beyond Waste. Much remains to be done to create a recycling system for the long-term that supports the Beyond Waste vision of viewing wastes as resources and reusing them as much as possible. Many successful programs are in place, such as recycling of cardboard, aluminum, metals, and some plastics. Construction and demolition debris recycling has risen significantly. Much of western Washington has established single stream recycling, where all recyclable materials are collected in one bin. This easy to use system can result in higher collection rates. But new systems that can efficiently recover a wider range of materials for reuse with a minimum of downcycling also need to be established.

In addition to all the other benefits to found in recycling, such as increased jobs and resource conservation, recycling is a key strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Manufacturing from recycled, as opposed to virgin, materials typically uses far less energy and therefore creates less greenhouse gas emissions. Waste that is never produced saves further still, so waste reduction is an even more powerful tool to avoid greenhouse gas emissions.

Interwoven throughout the Beyond Waste Plan are recommendations for increased recycling and waste reduction through state government purchasing, infrastructure, local planning, incentives and price signals, education, technical assistance, performance measures, and other actions. These efforts are essential to maintain the current recycling system and to move toward a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling system.

Goals: What Washington will look like in 30 years (by 2035)

The 30-year goal for the waste reduction and recycling system in Washington is as follows:

Materials in the technical nutrient cycle are continually recycled in closed-loop systems.

Products are made from durable, non-toxic materials that are efficiently collected and responsibly remanufactured into more products. Unintended waste from products and packaging has been virtually eliminated.

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